What Does It Take
by stickdonkey
Summary: what does it take to convince Raenef and Eclipse that they love each other? Not much only a near death experence. please R
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone. It's been a little over two years since I wrote this and for some reason it came to mind the other day and I decided to read it. Quite frankly I am a bit embarrassed. It is a good story idea and I kinda messed it up. So this is the re-write. Hopefully it's better. Thanks for giving me the time it takes you to read it.

~Stickdonkeys

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters and make no claim to.

What Does It Take

Chapter 1

The moonlit grounds of the castle Raenef were beautiful that evening. The wind a warm caress on the skin. The colors somber yet at the same time brilliant in the subtlety of their shading. The soft chirping of the night insects providing a symphony for the ready ear. Which was probably the reason that the two resident demons, a demon lord and his teacher, were outside. The older of the two, the teacher, was leaning against a tree and enjoying the way the soft, pale light of the moon and stars played on his master's hair bringing out the almost white highlights in his already light blonde hair. _Gods he's beautiful, _Eclipse thought._ Usually the moon saps all color from people's skin, but his cheeks seem flushed somehow. And his green eyes glitter so beautifully in the moon light that I am having difficulty keeping my distance.___

_Well you had better keep it because he is you master__**, **_added the nasty part of his personality that liked to interject and keep him a "proper demon."

_So what? _Eclipse found himself asking himself. _I wouldn't be the first minion to sleep with his or her master._

_It wouldn't be right__, _countered the snide part. _People would talk. Your reputation would suffer. How would the demon world react to you, the great warrior, sleeping with the most pathetic demon lord in the history of demon lords?_

_Who dares accuses him of being that?_ Eclipse demanded of his other side.

_Everyone, _the cruel side said_, even part of yourself: the sensible part._

_Sensible? _Eclipse thought with a mental snort. _He is not pathetic. He is sweet and kind and special and somehow has managed to stay that way in this world. So_ _shut up, leave him alone and let me enjoy our time together before something destroys him._

_The thing that destroys him would be you if he knew what you are thinking you __pervert_. Eclipse chose to ignore the other side of his personality—that had a grain of truth to it—and went back to watching his master and pupil read whatever it was that he was reading.

Raenef was stretched out in the grass on his stomach pretending to read some boring book on demon ethics—which Eclipse always reminded was an area he was sorely lacking in—while secretly watching Eclipse out of the corner of his eye. He was enjoying the slight glare that was caused by the moonlight reflecting off the alabaster skin visible where Eclipse's robe gapped across his chest. Raenef blushed as that thought crossed his mind and moved on to the safer examination of the slight void caused by Eclipse's eyes and wondered how their piercing gaze could come from such beautiful amethyst depths. Noticing that the same gaze, that had stopped gods in their tracks, was fixed on him, Raenef turned a page and to keep up the impression that he was actually doing something productive.

_Oh how I wish he would come over here and kiss me, _Raenef thought.

_You know he won't _said the pessimistic side of Raenef—which barely counted as pessimistic when compared to the rest of the world._ You could always order him to do it if you really want him to__**.**_

_No, _Rae thought with passion_ that would make me feel worse. I want him to love me because he does not because I tell him to. It wouldn't be real love that way. _

_Whatever why don't you go to bed and dream about him again__**,**_the other Raenef said_**.**_

_I will not I will stay here and look at the real thing, _Raenef mentally snapped and blushed again at the thought. _Why can't I just feel about him like I should?_

_~*~_.

Ten or so men had been standing in the woods near where the two demons were musing. And the men were lucky that the demons were, otherwise Eclipse, with the practice of many years would have already detected and killed them. They had been there for a while and had come to the conclusion that the blonde would be the least of their difficulties: minions were to be ignored until the lord had been annihilated. At an unspoken signal from their leader they leapt out of the bushes and concentrated their attack on the "demon lord." Even taken by surprise Eclipse was a force to be reckoned with. Acting on instinct alone, he destroyed over half of the swordsman in his first attack. Then laid waste to two of the three men left in the second. This left only one man alive in the clearing. There was also one more man alive who was only in such a state because Eclipse hadn't seen him. Raenef had though, and, seeing him raise a sword to kill Eclipse, immediately death drilled him. Eclipse turned as he felt the spell pass by him and took his attention off his other attacker just long enough for the man to land a single sword stroke before his death barreled down on him.

For a moment Raenef stood there in shock. _Oh dear, I actually killed someone. How did I do that? _He though.

_Well you are a DEMON, _the dark side replied. _Traditional demon lords kill things all the time. It's kinda their job._

_Yeah but still, Raenef thought It doesn't feel right. I didn't even think about it. Why didn't I think?_

_As much as I dislike your affection for Eclipse did it ever occur to you that you did it to protect him? Doesn't look like you did a very good job though__**, **_the dark side commented just as Eclipse fell to his knees looking at his hand with a confused expression contorting his beautiful face. Raenef too looked at Eclipse's hand and was as surprised to see the crimson blood standing out in such sharp contrast to the pale skin of his hand as Eclipse was. He ran to his tutor's side and gently eased Eclipse into a sitting position leaning against himself. Feeling as he did how heavy his friend's breathing was. After a few mute attempts, he got Eclipse to move his hands and saw all the blood that was sluicing out of the gaping wound across Eclipse's stomach.

_Oh gods what am I going to do? _Raenef thought frantically._ He's going to bleed to death and I can't heal him. Demons can only heal themselves and he is too weak from the battle. . ._

"Master," Eclipse whispered, his words thick with pain.

"What Eclipse." Raenef replied, too worried to tell Eclipse to drop the damn title.

"This is going to be the end of me. I'm sorry I have to break my promise to you, but will you stay with me until the end. Please. I don't want to die alone."

There was such a worried note in Eclipse's voice that is actually made Raenef shake slightly before he answered that he would and went back to his thoughts of saving Eclipse. _Let's see . . . Eclipse once told me that demon's can heal themselves . . . people in general have no magic to heal anyone . . . but who can heal others? Gods who is it? _

_It's clerics you retard, _the snide part commented. _Gods you can't even remember things when it is to save the life of someone you love. What good are you to the world? You can't kill, you can't save. You're worthless_

_Fat lot of good that does me, _Raenef thought ignoring the last part of his other side's rant.._ How am I going to get a cleric to help a demon? Even with the peace treaty it would take too long to convince one to help a demon. Especially Eclipse after all the harm he has caused in the past. _

_You have____one living in your castle, _the other side cut in._ In case it slipped that worthless mind of yours, Chris is a cleric.___

_That's right! _Raenef thought, mentally bouncing like a puppy._ I'll go get Chris he'll heal Eclipse and everything will be alright. _

_If he will that is. _

_Of course he will, _Raenef argued unable to see why Chris could possibly refuse. How could two people who were both friends of his not be willing to help one another survive..

_Are you sure? _the dark part asked. _Chris has not made his hatred of Eclipse a secret. What makes you think that he will be willing to save Eclipse's life? _

_He will, _Raenef thought the steel in his thought something that would have made Eclipse proud and hopeful of his demon lord potential if he had heard it.

"Eclipse, just listen. I'm going to go get Chris to help you. I will be right back and everything will be alright. Okay?"

Eclipse looked up at him with his beautiful eyes clouded with pain. The sight of which made Raenef's heart tear in two, "Please hurry, Raenef, I don't want to die alone."

"I will and you won't. I swear I will be right back."

With that Raenef laid Eclipse on the ground, kissed his forehead, stood and transported away. Finding himself at Chris's door doubt once again plagued him. _Are you sure?_

_Yes he has to. _


	2. Chapter 2

Hi, this has the same disclaimer as always, I own nothing and make no claim to.

"Chris! Wake up damn it!" Raenef yelled while shaking the poor cleric to the point of giving him whip-lash.

"This had **better** be worth it Rae." mumbled Chris. "What the hell–" he stopped at the look of fear and despair contorting the young demon lord's fair features. "What's wrong? Is there anything I can do?" _Great you moron he gets you out of bed, aggressively I might add, and you want to comfort him? Supergenius my ass, _Chris' sulky side added.

_Shut up no one asked your opinion, _Chris thought, he wasn't in the mood to put up with himself at the moment.

"It's Eclipse,—" Raenef began before biting his lip and ending the sentence.

"What did you have a spat?" Chris asked with an indulgent smile. He might not approve of the feelings that occasionally radiated off the two demons but Raenef was such a sweet creature that there was no way he could stay disgusted. Plus Raenef was clueless and probably thought nothing of it.

"No, he's hurt. And I think he's dying. And I need you to help me save him. Please say you'll help." Raenef begged, tears streaming down his face.

"Ummm" began Chris. _Shit how the hell should I handle this?_

_You could say just "no". Would that be so hard? _The other Chris asked. _No one would blame you. Heck you would probably be congratulated for letting the menace pass on. _

_Yes, but this is Raenef asking._ Chris whined at the other half._ You can't just say no to Raenef, not even Eclipse can. But how can I bring myself to help a demon? How could the rest of the order understand that I saved a demon because a demon lord asked me to._

"There isn't time for this Chris! Eclipse is dying **NOW**! Just come with me!" and with that Raenef reached out and grabbed Chris's arm and teleported back to the garden.

In the garden Eclipse was growing colder by the moment. He had tried to keep pressure on the wound, even though he knew it was futile. Now even that effort was too much. He knew that he was going to die alone and that scared him. _How stupid, _he thought,_ I have never feared death before now. Why start? I have been through centuries of death and destruction. I have participated in war, and now, for the first time I am afraid. I think that is because I now have something to lose. _With that thought Eclipse began to cry, silently and gently but the tears were still there. _What the hell am I doing? I have witnessed the deaths of many and they never brought tears. Why should my own be any different? True I'm leaving behind a master that I love but many of my previous masters claimed to care for me and they did not cry when they left me. Nor did I. Besides Raenef promised to be back before the end and do I want his last memories of me to be of me being weak? _But regardless of these thoughts, Eclipse was still weeping silently when Raenef and Chris materialized beside him

Raenef instantly dropped beside Eclipse and lifted Eclipse's shoulders slightly to place his beloved teachers head on his own lap. "Eclipse, please talk to me, or at least open your eyes and look at me," he begged, brushing the raven bangs from Eclipse's eyes and face with shaking hands. Eclipse opened his eyes with obvious effort, but now that they were open, Raenef wished that they would have stayed closed. Their usually beautiful amethyst depths were shallow and clouded with pain. Seeing this caused Raenef's tears to increase. Inside he knew that it meant the end was here. He was too late and now Eclipse was going to leave him.

"See," he whispered to Eclipse trying to keep those thoughts out of his tone, "I promised that I would come back and I did. And I brought Chris and he's going to help you." Here he looked to Chris for confirmation his eyes plainly saying "Please."

Chris' face was averted from Raenef's as he waged the inner war on whether or not to save Eclipse. _I warned you, _the Dark Raenef said. _And yet you got your hopes up. I knew that there was no way. _

_He'll help. He just has to._ Raenef thought desperately._ I can't live without Eclipse I can't._

Silently Chris nodded and moved forward to examine the wound.

_See I told you,_ Raenef thought smugly.

_Whatever, who would have guessed_.

"Raenef," Chris said after a moment, "it is probably going to hurt him while I heal him." (Same principle behind iodine and peroxide has to hurt to help) "So I would appreciate it greatly if you would hold him down so he won't move. And you," he directed this next comment at Eclipse, "I would really love it if you don't attack me since I am trying to help you. Ready? Here goes."

As soon as the spell hit the open wound, Eclipse drew a breath through his teeth, and was obviously trying not to scream. Without thinking about it he reached his hand upwards and grasped at the small trembling one holding his shoulder firmly to the ground and squeezed it. The small hand squeezed back and held tightly to his own. Then just as suddenly as the pain had come, it disappeared. Yet still the two hands held to each other.

"Well," said Chris, "you're fixed." Those three words successfully broke the moment. "We should probably get Eclipse to a better bed than the garden floor, then get ourselves to bed."

Eclipse, who had let go of Raenef's hand as though it had burned him when Chris first spoke, placed both of his own hands below him and tried to climb to his feet. Seeing him struggling, Raenef hastily stood and allowed the older demon to lean against him. Eclipse looked at him in silent thanks.

"Do you want me to take you back to your room, Chris?" Raenef asked half-heartedly.

"Nah, take care of Eclipse, I hate teleporting anyway, makes me queasy," Chris said.

"Alright, see you in the morning." and with that he disappeared.

_Ya' know, _Chris thought to himself, _I'm glad that I helped Eclipse. Maybe this will help his temper. And, at the very least, Rae is happy again. _

_I just hope you don't regret your decision, _the Dark Chris said ominously. Chris just ignored it and started the walk back to his no-longer-warm bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no claim to.

The two demons appeared in the bright florally decorated quarters of Raenef, with the older demon still leaning on the young lord. "Master Raenef, this is not my room. Why did you bring us here?" Eclipse asked quietly. "Do you not know how to get to my room?" Seeing the faint blush creep up the boy's face was answer enough. Eclipse smiled faintly in response.

"I don't, but that isn't the main reason I brought you here. I didn't even know if you had a bed in your room, 'cause you never seem to sleep," the boy replied sheepishly.

"Master," began Eclipse, "to my knowledge all creatures must sleep at least for a little while, but you are correct in the assumption that I do not own a proper bed. It is more of futon."

"Please quit calling me that." Raenef begged. "Anyway you can sleep in my bed tonight. I'll take the couch in the library. Gods know that I've slept there enough."

By this time they had reached Raenef's bed and he was helping Eclipse to sit on the edge. As he turned to get Eclipse something to wear to bed, he heard the older man say, "Master Raenef. . ."

"You know what," Raenef snapped, sounding like a demon lord again, turning back to Eclipse, "the next time you call me that, and every time from now to eternity, I am going to ignore you. At least until you learn to drop that damn title. Now," he said more kindly, "what did you want to tell or ask me?"

"Ma. . ." Eclipse stopped as Raenef turned away, "umm. . . Raenef, you don't have to sleep on the couch. We can ummmm share the bed." _What the hell are you thinking you fool? _The Dark Eclipse yelled at him._ How can you say that? _

_Tonight I learnt that life, yes even demonic life, is too short for this "must hide my true feelings" crap. Tonight I will find out how he feels for me and deal with the consequences. _

_What if he hates you and sends you away? You are aware that could happen, right? _

_Then I will slowly die, but anything is better than this._

"What do you mean by that?" Raenef asked slowly. His beautiful blue eyes clouded with confusion. "You can't mean what I think you mean. It's impossible I have to be dreaming." _What am I thinking I have had many bedroom type dreams about Eclipse, but I have never tried to kill him, in a dream before. _

_Maybe you not dreaming stupid, _the Dark Raenef said.

_Impossible, Eclipse isn't interested in me that way. _

As this last thought hit, sorrow crept unto his delicate features, leaving Eclipse with the sudden urge to take the younger demon into his arms and kiss away his fears. So, going with his new thoughts on what should be done with time, he impulsively forced himself to his feet, his cat-like grace leaving him for once, closed the space between them in two long strides, and took his lord into his arms before those damn voices in his head could start up again. He moved in to kiss the tender lips of the smaller boy, but stopped a few centimeters from it thinking, _If he wants me to kiss him, he will execute the kiss. . . if not, hell I will anyway. At least that way I would have one memory to hold to._

When Eclipse first rose and began to move toward him, Raenef was shocked but as soon as he was in Eclipse's strong arms, pulled so close to his finely-muscled chest, all surprise melted away and was replaced by the desire to kiss the tall, dark demon. When Eclipse moved in to kiss him, and he felt their breath mingling he knew that he had to kiss him. When Eclipse paused, Raenef, worried that he might be reconsidering the decision, closed the gap and gave Eclipse a tender, tentative kiss.

The kiss, though short, expressed such longing that Eclipse was so stunned he almost pulled back. He had had no idea that his young master had wanted him that badly, for that matter he had not know that his master had wanted him at all. Once the shock wore off he returned Raenef's gentle kiss with a more potent one of his own.

When the two finally surfaced for air, somehow they had moved back to the bed and Raenef was bare-chested with his hair cascading around his shoulders like a gold crested wave, while Eclipse's own raven locks had come unbound and were contrasting wonderfully with his pale skin, of which there was quite a lot of which visible due mainly to the fact that his robe was open to the waist and almost off his shoulders. Raenef was looking at him with eyes that were sparkling in ways that a demon lord's never should, but at the moment Eclipse didn't give a damn what anyone else thought, hell his probably looked about the same.

He went ahead and shrugged his robe the rest of the way off his shoulders enjoying, as he always did, the way his silky hair felt against his bare skin, regretting this action at once. Because Raenef, seeing the scar left from where Chris had healed him, immediately became apologetic, mumbled something inaudible, and teleported away. "Damn," Eclipse whispered, smacking the bed. He laid down covered himself with the blankets and went to sleep and dreamt about what would have been.

"What was I thinking?" Raenef cried desperately. "He's going to hate me in the morning. That was way too forward of me." _He did kiss you back. So he wants you too. _"Whatever," he mumbled to himself and rolled over so he was facing the back of the couch and fell into dreams about a certain dark-haired demon.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you all for taking the time to read the revision of this story, I hope you enjoyed it. I would greatly appreciate any reviews that you have.

As always, I own nothing and make no claim to.

Eclipse woke at his usual ungodly hour and went about his morning routine of cleaning, and organizing the castle and was halfway through making breakfast when a small blonde figure stumbled into the kitchen. "Eclipse, you should be sleeping." Raenef stated.

"I feel fine Ma . . . Raenef. Demons heal quickly do not worry." Eclipse replied smiling slightly remembering the night before.

"But are you sure that you should be lifting those full skillets?" Raenef asked timidly. "Couldn't you hurt yourself?" By this time he had made it to the counter and was standing beside Eclipse, who moved nearer and placed his arm around his young lord's shoulders and pulled him nearer still. When Raenef was once again leaning against Eclipse, with his arms around his tutor's waist, he whispered so soft it was almost inaudible, "Does this mean that you don't hate me Eclipse?"

"Gods no. How could you ever think that?" Eclipse asked surprised, but not angry. "I. . . I love you Raenef. I have for quite some time now, but I was afraid that my feelings were unrequited, and that you would send me away if you knew. That was one of the reasons I have always been so formal around you. It helped to remind me of the distance in our stations and the impropriety of my feelings for you."

"I would never have sent you away Eclipse. I love you too. I think I have ever since I first met you. Only I was too young and naive to know that the admiration I felt for you was more than respect," said Raenef, leaning up to kiss Eclipse.

The two stood there locked in a close embrace, till Eclipse broke off the kiss long enough to whisper a quiet "Go." Through all of this neither of them had noticed a red-headed figure standing in the doorway with a look of triumph on her face.

"And just what are you looking so smug about this early in the morning?" growled the monk when he wandered into the dining room about ten minutes later.

"Well I just saw something I have waited a long time to see," replied Erutis evasively

"What have you finally grown breasts like a real girl? OUCH! Why did you hit me, I was asking a legitimate question."

"No you weren't and anyway that is not what I was talking about. I was referring to Eclipse and Rae," she replied indignantly.

"What about them. Didn't get hurt again, did they? Why are you shaking your head, I'm Chris the Supergenius. You are shaking you head like I am stupid. . ."

"That is because you are. Stupid I mean. They finally gave into their emotions and hooked up. Don't look so sick, it is cute."

"But... I mean they're both male. That is just gross. If I was to do something like that, it wouldn't be 'cute'."

"No but you're not Rae, nor a demon for that matter," she said matter-of-factly. "So now to more pressing business, what are we going to eat?"

"How can you think of food at a time like this?"

"I just can. So I suppose you can make us something to eat. Just don't wreck the kitchen or the kitchen wench will fry both of us."

Then a maniacal smile crossed her face and she said, "Ya know, maybe he won't. Getting laid may mellow him a bit."

"That is just wrong. I don't even want to think about it. And even if that was true I am not going to take my chances. **We** just won't make a mess."

"Eclipse?" Raenef asked as he was lying in Eclipse's arms, playing with a single strand of Eclipse's long silky hair, a while later.

"What, Rae."Eclipse replied softly into Raenef's soft blonde hair

"What about Chris and Erutis."

"What do you mean by 'what about' them?" Eclipse asked puzzled. Honestly he couldn't really care less about those two at the moment. Even if he did owe Chris everything after what he had done the night before.

"Breakfast," Raenef said. "What are they going to eat?"

At this Eclipse had no choice but to smile, Raenef always thought of others no matter what was going on, or had just taken place. "They can find their own meal. But may the gods help them if they have demolished my kitchen." Though Eclipse was serious enough that he had started to have black flames start to surround him, Raenef could not help but laugh. "I fail to see what is so funny about your pets tearing apart our house," Eclipse said grumpily, or as grumpy as he could be at Raenef.

"Well," giggled Raenef, "First you called it** your** kitchen though you continually deny my friends accusation that you're a kitchen wench. Secondly, they aren't my pets. They're my friends and even were that true, they would now be our pets."

"Of course they would Raenef." And with that he kissed his young charge before adding, "I figure we should probably get up and start your lessons." Eclipse then disentangled himself from Raenef and the sheets and stood to locate and put on his robe.

That day Raenef was more attentive in his lessons than he had ever been, mainly because he knew that he no longer had to gaze longingly at Eclipse when he wasn't looking. He could do it while listening to and absorbing everything Eclipse's melodious voice was saying. He preformed the new spell without a hitch the first time, and better yet he didn't have to try to keep Eclipse's temper in check when it came to Erutis and Chris since they had managed to feed themselves without ruining the kitchen or eating all the food. He and Eclipse were also spared the difficulty of keeping the truth from the humans, not that he would have anyway, since they already knew and commented upon his and Eclipse's entry into the dining room. Allowing him to sit next to his beloved mentor. The only tense moment came when Erutis made the statement, "Since you cook and clean, does that make you the female in this relationship, Eclipse?"

For a moment everyone (Chris and Raenef) was worried that he was going to kill her but he calmly responded with "Even if I'm not, I have a better figure for it than you do." No dark aura. No fire. Nothing. Maybe Erutis was right about the getting laid thing. After that, dinner was a comfortable affair. Eventually, Raenef said that he was tired and wanted to go to bed. Shortly afterwards he and Eclipse disappeared to his room. The others stayed in the dining room for a while discussing the day's events before they too went to their respective bedrooms.

From this night on for all eternity, Eclipse and Raenef shared Raenef's soft bed.


End file.
